Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, July 6 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The opportunity of Russian companies' participation in the construction of the Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India gas pipeline (TAPI) was welcomed at a meeting of the Pakistani-Russian Working Group on Energy Cooperation in Islamabad, the Russian Ministry of Energy said today.
According to the information, the parties have welcomed the opportunity of Russian companies' participation in Pakistani oil and gas infrastructure development, particularly in the construction of the Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India (TAPI) and the Iran - Pakistan gas pipelines, as well as power generation facilities.
The Russian delegation included representatives from the Russian Ministry of Energy and Russian companies Gazprom EP International, Stroytransgaz, INTER RAO UES, Power Machines, and Technopromexport.
Bangladesh has begun to show interest in the TAPI project when Ashgabat connects a possibility of delivering its energy resources to new markets with this project. The Ashgabat interstate agreement of the member-states over the start of the project's implementation signed in late 2010 was the base document for its promotion.
Security of the project passing through Afghanistan is still the key issue on the agenda. Turkmenistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the TAPI project with Afghanistan in the spring. The agreements on Turkmen gas purchase and sale were signed with the State Gas Systems of Pakistan and Indian GAIL.
The Asian Development Bank, acting in the TAPI project as the secretariat, previously reported that after more than 20 years of difficult negotiations, a 1800 kilometre gas pipeline that will connect one of the largest energy suppliers in Central Asia - Turkmenistan with the market in South Asia, has become one step closer to reality. This testifies to the unprecedented new chapter in regional relations.
At this stage, Turkmenistan is supplying gas to China, Iran and Russia.